The Jockey
Club, in collaboration with the NBC Sports Group, CNBC and six racetracks, will
provide live coverage of six major prep races for the 2012 Kentucky Derby
presented by Yum! Brands over four consecutive weekends next spring, it was
announced today.
The series will be highlighted by a 90-minute live
broadcast on NBC featuring the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood
Memorial at Aqueduct and the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park
on April 7, 2012.
The other four Kentucky Derby prep races are the Vinery
Racing Spiral Stakes from Turfway Park on March 24 and the Florida Derby from
Gulfstream Park on March 31, both of which will air on the NBC Sports Network
(which will be renamed from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012), and the Toyota Blue Grass
Stakes from Keeneland Race Course and the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park,
which will air on CNBC on April 14.
“The Jockey Club is proud to work with our television
and racetrack partners to bring more of our sport’s best racing to a national
audience,” said Ogden Mills Phipps, Chairman of The Jockey Club. “Increasing the
television presence of Thoroughbred racing is just the first step in a long
term, multi-media strategy focused on fan retention and development. Together
with racetracks and other industry organizations, we plan to aggressively
cross-promote Thoroughbred racing on a variety of traditional and new digital
media platforms.”
“These races are important steppingstones to the
Kentucky Derby,” said Jon Miller, President, Programming, NBC Sports and NBC
Sports Network. “And this programming further demonstrates the NBC Sports
Group’s commitment to the sport of Thoroughbred racing, which already includes
long-term deals for the Triple Crown races as well as with Saratoga and
Keeneland.”
Increased television coverage of Thoroughbred racing and
the development of a new digital media strategy were among nine recommendations
identified in the major economic study of the Thoroughbred industry that was
commissioned by The Jockey Club, and conducted in association with the
management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, earlier this year. The
findings and recommendations were announced in August at The Jockey Club’s Round
Table Conference in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE
(All Times ET)
Saturday, March 24, 2012, 5-6 p.m.
(NBC Sports Network)
Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes and Bourbonette Oaks
(Turfway Park)
Saturday, March 31, 2012, 5-6 p.m.
(NBC Sports Network)
Florida Derby and Gulfstream Oaks
(Gulfstream Park)
Saturday, April 7, 2012, 4:30-6 p.m.
(NBC)
Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial
(Aqueduct Racetrack) and Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita Park)
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 6-7 p.m. ET
(CNBC)
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Keeneland) and
Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park)
QUOTES FROM RACETRACK
REPRESENTATIVES:
Charles Hayward, President and CEO, The New York Racing
Association: “The Wood Memorial has a long, rich history as a key prep race for
the Kentucky Derby and we are elated that a national television audience will be
able to enjoy the 2012 edition on NBC.”
Nick Nicholson, President and CEO, Keeneland Association
Inc.: “We have received a tremendous response to the national television
coverage from Keeneland this fall and we are pleased that the Toyota Blue Grass
Stakes will be televised
nationally. Keeneland is very supportive of The Jockey Club’s
strategic initiative to grow fan interest in our sport.”
Greg Avioli, CEO and President of Stronach
Entertainment, parent company of Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park: “The
Santa Anita Derby and Florida Derby showcase some of the nation’s top
3-year-olds from both coasts every year and we are thrilled that a national
television audience will get to see these two important events from our
facilities.”
Charles J. Cella, President, Oaklawn Park: “Since the
advent of the Racing Festival of the South more than 30 years ago, Oaklawn has
hosted numerous champions and the centerpiece of our racing – the Arkansas Derby
– has become one of the most important races for 3-year-olds in North America.
We’re pleased that fans will be able to watch the 2012 Arkansas Derby on a
national television broadcast.”
Bob Elliston, President and CEO, Turfway
Park: “Turfway Park has served as the final tuneup for a number of Kentucky
Derby hopefuls and as we all know, last year’s winner of the Vinery Racing
Spiral Stakes, Animal Kingdom, went on to win the Run for the Roses a few weeks
later. Televising these races benefits not only the host tracks but the entire
racing industry.”